


Phasing

by EssayOfThoughts



Series: MCU Maximoff Oneshots [80]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Vision Learning Door-knocking Etiquette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7050535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vision is very young, despite his well-spoken words, and his understanding of human social rules is not as good as it could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Phasing

**i.**   
The first time Vision phases through the wall into her room, Wanda has woken screaming from a nightmare.

It is two days after Novi Grad, and all she can see is scarlet, Pietro's blue in her mind, and the crushing pressure of rubble and brick dust.

“Wanda?” 

His voice is gentle, gentle but clear, and would allow Wanda to pinpoint him in the dark of the room, even if she could not see the orange glow of his mind.

“Is just a nightmare,” she says, and she can feel the lump in her throat, the tears in her eyes. Her heart is aching, aching, because any other time and Pietro would be there, already at her side, arms already wrapping around her to give her comfort.

Any other time Pietro would not be dead.

“Ah,” Vision says, and for a moment he is quiet. “Would you like to talk about it? Some sources say that can help. Or if not… I could make you hot chocolate?”

There is uncertainty in his voice, and Wanda is reminded that, for all his well said words, Vision is but days old. Wanda swallows, sits up more surely.

“Hot chocolate would be nice.”

 

* * *

 

**ii.**   
The second time, Wanda is at her desk, watching a video on YouTube about how to do proper scales on a guitar. The guitar is something her therapist suggested, sort of. A hobby to give her a new goal, something new to focus on, something to keep her from dwelling on painful memories and to help her to move forward.

She almost falls out of her chair when Vision phases through.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “The rest of the team were planning to order pizza. They wanted to know if you had any topping preference?”

“Mushrooms,” she says. “No meat.”

_ Why no meat? _ she asks herself when Vision has phased through the wall again to tell the others.  _ Kosher _ , she realises.  _ No dairy and meat. Pizzas mean cheese _ . That recollection, she knows, is something Pietro had saved for them both.

 

* * *

 

**iii.**   
The third time Vision phases through the wall into her room is after a mission. She’s knocking about her room, music loud over the sound of the shower in the bathroom, and half-dancing to the song as she strips off. She only notices Vision when she hears the startled, “I am so sorry,” and turns to see Vision burying his face in the wall. Wanda plucks up her coat, slung on the bed, to cover herself.

“Vision?”

She’s only half-undressed, bra still on, trousers still on, boots still on, so with the coat clutched to her chest she’s covered enough. Vision half turns, and looks politely at her face. 

“I wanted to check to see if anyone needed medical care. Do you?”

Wanda shakes her head, manages a smile. “I am fine,” she says. “Knock, next time. Go and check on the others.”

Vision smiles nervously back, nods and phases back through the wall. A few moments later she hears metal hitting concrete and Steve’s voice saying, very clearly, “Christ, Vision, don’t  _ startle _ me like that!”

(When Wanda looks in on Steve’s room later there is a shield-edge shaped dent in the wall.)

(Later still, Vision asks her if she’d teach him to dance.)

 

* * *

 

**iv.**   
The fourth time Vision phases through the wall Wanda is curled on her bed crying. The door is open, and at first she thinks he walked in, and that she did not hear the footsteps as he sits down beside her, and gently offers her an arm around her shaking shoulders.

Then a moment later she hears the Captain’s door open and close, hears his footsteps from his room next to hers over to her door, and realises that,  _ no _ , Vision simply phased through the wall.

At this point, still crying, shoulders still shaking under the soft comfort of Vision’s arm she can’t bring herself to reprimand him for walking in. The door was open after all, any of the others could have walked by and seen and that Vision’s hearing allows him to hear through walls is simply chance, that he cares enough to offer comfort is simply his nature.

The Captain stands, quiet and worried in the doorway for several moments while Wanda leans into Vision’s offered comfort.

 

* * *

 

**v.**   
The fifth time Vision phases through the wall Wanda is watching a nature documentary presented by an elderly British man. In the background his voice is soft: “ _ London’s Natural History Museum has over 70 million animal specimens- _ ”

Its interesting enough, listening to him talk about animals, and his speech is slow and precise, his voice clear, all of which helps Wanda with speaking English with the team. Vision phases through the wall and pauses. Wanda presses spacebar on her laptop.

“You should knock,” she says, smiling just slightly. There is something endearing about Vision - phasing through the walls out of worry or for a single question, but using the doors when walking with the others. It’s an intrusiveness she can’t bring herself to mind much, his mind as young and innocent as it is. Pietro, she knows, would have called him naive, but with the scepticism so common to the rest of the team Vision’s naivete is welcome.

“I-” Vision starts. “I am sorry, I only wanted to check on you. You haven’t left your room for five hours, we were all getting rather concerned.”

Wanda snorts. “Stark would not be,” she says. After a moment of consideration she gestures to the space beside her. After a moment more Vision sits, albeit awkwardly. “You should knock,” she says again. “It is…” - she pauses, the English slipping away irritatingly in the way that means she knows she’ll remember the word later - “Rude,” she says in Sokovian. “Impolite?” she tries in English, “to simply walk in. If I was getting changed, or wanted to be alone. You should knock, unless the door is open.”

Vision nods, slowly, and Wanda hits spacebar on her laptop. The man’s voice washes over them both.

“ _ The weird and the wonderful, from every corner of the planet. _ ”

 

* * *

 

**vi.**   
The sixth time Vision phases through the wall Wanda does not want another person offering company. Steve has already tried and failed to offer help, and the only person in the world who would truly understand, who would truly  _ help _ , is buried six feet under, pebbles left at the grave whenever she is able to visit.

“Viz,” she says. “We  _ talked _ about this.”

_ Well _ , she recalls, she had told him and he had nodded.

 

* * *

 

**vii.**   
No one phases through into her cell in the Raft. She does not think she would welcome it if Vision did - for once his attempt to offer comfort would be ill-met. 

_ You jailed me _ , she thinks.  _ You would have had people see me as you do but you would still imprison me. You would still pre-emptively assume me wrong _ .

Wanda does not regret fighting, not even fighting against Vision. 

There is no point regretting.

 

* * *

 

**viii.**   
Wanda doesn’t hear the knock that Vision gives, but she sees his glowing mind as he steps into her room in Wakanda. 

“Viz-” she starts. “What are you doing here?”

“I did knock,” he replies, words coming out so fast they almost trip over themselves on his tongue.

“In  _ Wakanda _ .”

“Oh,” Vision says. Wanda can hear his footsteps on the floor, soft and slow and careful. “I was… I was concerned for you, when the Raft was attacked. I thought that, perhaps, if the stone gave you your powers it could perhaps find you.”

Wanda slowly uncurls from where she is curled on her bed, trying not to set off any of her aching muscles from the Raft.

“They put me in a straitjacket,” she murmurs in Sokovian. “They tased me, they locked me up, they treated me like an  _ animal _ .” She knows she must look half-wild, watching him. “Where were you then?”

There is nothing on Vision’s face but shock.

“I did not know,” he says, softly, in Sokovian. “I swear to you, Wanda, I did not know.”

“I do not want your concern,” she says, and turns her back on him. “I do not  _ need _ it.”

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are much appreciated.


End file.
